Apparatus for handling webs of convoluted cigarette paper and the like



Oct. 18, 1966 B. SCHUBERT APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WEBS 0F CONVOLUTED CIGARETTE PAPER AND THE LIKE 9 sheets-Shea 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1963 J0 ven far: ar 74a rd #141501 Oct. 18, 1966 B. SCHUBERT 3,279,717

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WEBS OF CONVOLUTED CIGARETTE PAPER AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25, 1965 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 18, 1966 B. SCHUBERT 3,279,717

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WEBS OF CONVOLUTED CIGARETTE PAPER AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25, 1963 9 Sheets-Shaeu 5 WWI Jn yen/0r.-

7 -11404 fink/- Oct. 18, 1966 B. scHuBERT 3,279,717

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WEBS OF CONVOLUTED CIGARETTE PAPER AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 18, 1966 B. SCHUBERT 3,279,717

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WEBS OF CONVOLUTED CIGARETTE PAPER AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. /6b

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'BfANf/A/PO 6691/66/97 Oct. 18, 1966 B. SCHUBERT 3,279,717

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WEBS OF CONVOLUTED CIGARETTE PAPER AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 .711 venfor:

Oct. 18, 1966 B. SCHUBERT 3,279,717

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WEBS OF CONVOLUTED CIGARETTE PAPER AND THE LIKE. Filed Nov. 25, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 V I 2/ iii;

.70 van for:

Oct. 18, 1966 B. SCHUBERT 3,279,717

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WEBS OF CONVOLUTED CIGARETTE PAPER AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Fig. Z4

.70 van far:

Bun/14rd $4M I" Iii/1 Oct. 18, 1966 B. sc BERT 3,279,717

APPARATUS FOR HANDL N S 0F CONVOLUTED CIGARETTE PAPER THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25. 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Jnven/ar: Esra 44rd fduerf United States Patent signor to Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. KG., Hamburg Bergedorf, Germany Filed Nov. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 325,814 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Nov. 26, 1962, 44,586/ 62 28 Claims. (Cl. 242-584) The present invention relates to apparatus for handling reels of convoluted web material, and more particularly to apparatus for controlled unwinding and splicing of convoluted cigarette paper and similar web material in continuous rod cigarette making machines or the like. Still more particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for supporting, unwinding, guiding and splicing webs of convoluted flexible material.

In modern rod cigarette making machines, a web of cigarette paper is fed from a reel onto a moving conveyor belt which carries it through the folding and gumming apparatus whereby the web is wrapped around a moving tobacco rod. When a reel is nearly completely exhausted, it is necessary to connect the trailing end of the uncoiled web with the leading end of the web on a fresh reel so as to make sure that the rod cigarette making machine may operate without interruptions.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel splicing apparatus which serves to unite the leading end of a convoluted web with the trailing end of a moving uncoiled web so that the convoluted web forms a continuation of the uncoiled web, and to construct the splicing apparatus in such a way that it will be especially suited for uniting consecutive webs of cigarette paper in continuous rod cigarette making machines.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a very simple and compact splicing apparatus which may be used to connect consecutive webs of cigarette paper in rod cigarette making machines and other types of automatic or semi-automatic machines wherein splicing of a fresh web to the trailing end of a moving web must be carried out without any reduction in speed and without any interruptions in the operation of such machines.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a splicing apparatus of the just outlined characteristics wherein the splicing operation is carried out in a fully automatic way so that the person in charge of the machine in which the splicing apparatus is put to use may devote his time to other tasks, particularly to placing a fresh reel of convoluted web material into requisite position for subsequent uniting with the trailing end of the web which was paid out by the preceding reel.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved supporting means, guide means and advancing or conveying means for convoluted cigarette paper and similar webs of flexible material.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved splicing device which may be used in an apparatus of the above-outlined characteristics.

Still another object of the instant invention is to mount the improved guide means in such a way that a convoluted web is held against undesirable or uncontrolled uncoiling and that the convolutions are held against lateral shifting during or prior to unwinding.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel arrangement including combined supporting and guide means for comparatively large reels of convoluted cigarette paper or similar web material, to construct the supporting and guide means in such a way that a reel may be inserted or removed in all stages of the operation of a machine in which such means are put to use, to provide one or more automatic signal generating devices which "ice will warn an operator that the supply of web material on a reel is nearly exhausted, to provide combined supporting and guide means which may be incorporated in or combined with many types of splicing apparatus, and to provide a novel method of manipulating consecutive reels of convoluted web material in a splicing apparatus for continuous rod cigarette making machines or the like.

A concomitant object of the invent-ion is to provide a novel method of uniting the trailing end of an uncoiled web with the leading end of a convoluted web.

With the above objects in view, one feature of my invention resides in the provision of an arrangement which serves to support and to guide a fresh and/or partially expended reel while the reel is caused to discharge convoluted web material to a continuous rod cigarette making machine or to another machine. In its simplest form, the improved arrangement comprises one or two guide walls serving to hold the reel against any or against excessive axial movement with respect thereto but to permit movement of the reel in a direction at right angles to its axis, and supporting means preferably including one or more rollers or belts on which the outermost convolution on the reel comes to rest when the latter is properly located with reference to the guide means. The supporting means may be free to move in response to withdrawal of the web from the reel or, alternatively, the arrangement may comprise drive means for moving one or more web-engaging portions of the supporting means substantially at the speed of the web which is being paid out by the reel.

Another feature of my invention resides in the provision of a splicing apparatus in which webs are drawn from consecutive reels and wherein the leading end of a web which is convoluted on a fresh reel may be spliced by adhesive tape to the trailing end of the web which is being uncoiled from the preceding reel. The apparatus comprises advancing means for moving a web in an elongated path, guide means for locating a pair of reels in a common plane, first supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of one of the reels so that the reel rotates when its web is engaged by the advancing means, a pair of splicing members adjacent to the opposite sides of the path to normally define a gap wide enough to permit passage of a web with substantial play and a splicing portion of one splicing member being movable toward and away from the other splicing member to change the width of the gap, second supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of the other reel so that the operator may apply adhesive tape to the leading end of the web on this other reel and to place the adhesive tape into the gap between the splicing members, and a detector device arranged to detect the decrease in the diameter of the reel which is carried by the first supporting means. This detector device is operative when the diameter of the reel is reduced to a predetermined diameter and the detector device then causes the splicing portion of the one splicing member to move toward the other splicing member and to thus connect the adhesive tape with the web of that reel which is carried by the first supporting means whereby the web of the other reel begins to advance in the aforementioned path.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

'FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an arrangement which serves to support and to guide a reel of convoluted web material in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a portion of the guide means being broken away;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view as seen in the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged axial section through a supporting roller as seen in the direction of arrows from the line IIIIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the electric circuit of the arrangement which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a second arrang'ement wherein the outermost convolution of a convoluted web rests on a flexible supporting belt;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of a modified supporting roller whose periphery is provided with inclined undulate projections and grooves to accommodate portions of an improperly convoluted or uncoiled web;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary end elevational view of a modifi'ed supporting belt whose outer side is provided with inclined grooves and projections somewhat resembling those shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a fianged supporting roller;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the flanged supporting roller;

FIG. 10 is an axial section through a supporting roller whose flanges serve to guide the convolutions of a web and wherein the distance between the flanges may be varied so that the roller may serve as a. combined support and guide for reels of different widths;

FIG. 11 illustrates in front elevational View anoth'er arrangement wherein the web of a reel is guided by the flanges of four supporting rollers and by the flanges of a pressing roller;

FIG. 12 is an end elevational view as seen in the direction of arrow XII in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a somewhat schematic front elevational view of a drive for a series of supporting rollers in an arrangement of the type shown in FIG. 1 or 11;

FIG. 14 is an axial section through the bearings and drive means for a further supporting roller which resembles a barrel to come into mere point contact with the outermost convolution of a web;

FIG. 14a is an end elevational view of an additional arrangement wherein the guide means for a reel comprises a single wall which is inclined with reference to a vertical plane;

FIG. 15 is a somewhat schematic front elevational view of a splicing apparatus which embodies one form of my invention, certain parts of the apparatus being omitted for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 16 is a section through the splicing apparatus as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XVI-XVI of FIG. 15;

FIG. 16a is a schematic perspective view of the drive mechanism for the supporting and advancing means of the splicing apparatus;

FIG. 16b is a diagram showing the electric circuitry of the splicing apparatus;

FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of a second splicing apparatus;

FIG. 18 illustrates the drive for the rotary parts of the splicing apparatus shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XIXXIX of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a top plan view as seen in the direction of arrow XX in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XXIXXI of FIG. 19 and shows the construction of a sprocket which drives one set of supporting rollers in the splicing apparatus of FIG. 17;

FIG. 22 is an end view of a clutch element which serves to drive the sprocket of FIG. 21 in certain stages of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 17',

FIG. 23 illustrates the construction and mounting of a driver pulley which is utilized in the apparatus of FIG. n

FIG. 24 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of a detail in the apparatus of FIG. 17 and illustrates the actual splicing station;

FIG. 25 is an enlarged section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XXV-XXV of FIG. 24 and illustrates a clutch which drives one of the splicing members; and

FIG. 26 is a section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XXVIXXVI of FIG. 25.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an arrangement which comprises novel supporting and guide means for a fresh reel 21 of convoluted web material, such as cigarette paper or the like. The arrangement is mounted on a vertical frame member 1 which forms part of the frame in a rod cigarette making machine and which supports two threaded bolts 2, 3 as well as four threaded shafts 4, 5, 6, 7 for supporting rollers 11, 12, 13, 14. These bolts and shafts support a guide means including a pair of guide walls 8, 18 which are spaced from each other and from the frame member 1. The bolts 2, 3 carry pairs of spacer sleeves 9 which cooperate with washers 19 to maintain the guide walls 8, 18 at a predetermined distance from each other and from the frame member 1. Similar spacer sleeves 10 and washers 19 are mounted on the shafts 4-7. Nuts 20 enable an operator to remove the guide walls 8, 13 or to vary the distance therebetween by increasing or reducing the number of washers 19 and/or by replacing the sleeves 9, 10 with sleeves of different axial length. The width of the vertical channel 8a between the guide walls 8, 1 8 is just sufficient to permit rotation of the reel 21 with a minimum of axial play. The guide walls 8, 18 are U-shaped and the axes of the shafts 4 7 are disposed on the periphery of a circle whose center is located on the axis of the reel 21, it being assumed that the reel is fresh (i.e., that it has just been placed into the channel So so that its outermost convolution rests on the peripheries of the supporting rollers 11-14).

One of the rollers, namely, the roller 14, is shown in FIG. 3. It is mounted on a needle bearing 15 which surrounds the spacer sleeve 10 and is free to rotate about the axis of the shaft 7. The peripheral surface 14a of this roller is of spherical shape so that the roller resembles a barrel and is in mere point contact with the outermost convolution of the web 39 which is wound on the reel 21. The rollers 13 and 14 are engaged by a braking device including an arcuate brake shoe 16 secured to one end of a helical brake spring 17 which is mounted in an adjustable cup 17a supported by the frame member 1. The brake shoe 16 is locate-d between the guide walls 8, 18 and bears against the peripheral surfaces of the rollers 13, 14 with a force determined by the bias of the spring 17. This bias may be regulated by moving the cup 17a along a spindle 17b or by moving the spindle 17b axially with respect to a block 17c which is secured to the frame member 1.

A detector switch 22 is located between the median supporting rollers 12, 13 and may be closed by a trip 24 which is pivotally secured to one of the guide walls 8, 18 and is located in the path of the reel 21 so that it closes the switch 22 when the diameter of the-reel 21' is reduced, i.e., when the web 39 is nearly expended and the remained of the reel assumes the phantom-line position 21.

The leading end of the web 39 is clamped between two advancing rollers 23, 23a at least one of which is driven by an electric motor 26 shown in FIG. 4. This motor is connected in circuit with the detector switch 22, with a starter switch 34 and with a source 27 of electrical energy. The detector switch 22 is a three-position founcontact switch and its lower pair of contacts 29, 31 is normally bridged by an aperturedswitoh plate 22a which is biased by a spring 2212. Thus, when the starter switch 34 is closed, the motor 26 drives one or both advancing nolls 23, 23a '(FIG. 1) to draw the web 39 off the reel 21. The contact 29 is connected with one pole of the source 27 by a conductor 28, and a conductor 32 connects the contact 31 with the motor 26. Conductors 33, 35 respectively connect the starter switch 34 with the other pole of the source 27 and with the motor 26. A further conductor 36 connects the conductor 33 with a signal lamp 25, and a conductor 37 connects this lamp with a third contact 38. The fourth contact 30 is connected with the conductor 28. When a fresh reel 21 is accommodated in the channel 8a, the trip 24 is spaced from the stem 220 of the detector switch 22 and the upper switch plate 22d which is secured to the stem 22c remains spaced from the contacts 30, 38 so that the circuit of the signal lamp 25 is open. The switch plate 22b bridges the contacts 29, 31 to complete the circuit of the motor 26 if the starter switch 34 is closed so that the motor rotates the advancing roll 23 and/or 23a and draws the web 39 off the reel 21. When the diameter of the reel 21 is reduced (see the position 21 of FIG. 1), the outermost convolution of the reel pivots the trip 24 which acts against the tip of the stem 22c and moves the switch plate 22d into actual abutment with the contacts 30, 38 to complete the circuit of the lamp 25 which produces a visible signal and warns the operator that the reel 21 is almost expended and that a fresh reel has to be made ready for insertion in the channel 8a.

If the operator fails to notice or to heed the signal produced by the lamp 25, the diameter of the reel 21 is reduced still further and the reel continues to press the stem 22c into the housing of the detector switch 22 whereby a collar 22s on the stem 22c engages the lower switch plate 22a and moves it away from the contacts 29, 31 to arrest the motor 26. Thus, the motor ceases to draw the web 39 and the entire apparatus remains idle until the operator replaces the expended reel 21 with a fresh reel. The switch plate 22a is apertured so that the lower end portion of the stem 220 may extend therethrough and that the plate 22a may be engaged by the collar 22s. The stem 220 is biased upwardly by a weak contraction spring 22 which is secured to the upper switch plate 22d and to the top wall of the housing for the switch 22. It will be noted that the motor 26 and signal lamp 25 are connected in parallel, and it is obvious that the lamp 25 may be replaced by a device which produces an audible signal when the switch plate 22d engages the contacts 30, 38. 'It is also possible to place a signal lamp in series with a device which produces an audible sign-a1 so that one of the two signals will be likely to draw attention of the operator when the reel received in the channel 8a is nearly expended.

The line 40 in FIG. 3 indicates the common plane of all such points on the peripheral surface 14a of the supporting roller 14 which come in actual contact with the central portion of the web 39. The plane of the line 40 is also the symmetry plane of the reel 21 and intersects the cylindrical core 21a of the reel midway between the end faces of the convoluted web material.

It is advisable to provide more than two supporting rollers if the angle between the radii connecting the axis of a fresh reel 21 with the axes of the rollers 12, 13 is less than 45 degrees. The arrangement may comprise six or more supporting rollers, especially if the rollers 11, 14 are closely adjacent to the rollers 12, 13.

The arrangement of FIGS. 1 to 4 operates as follows:

Prior to closing the starter switch 34, .the operator places a fresh reel 21 into the channel 8:: so that the outermost convolution of the web 39 is in more point contact with the peripheral surfaces of the supporting rollers 11 to 14. The guide walls 8, I18 hold the reel against axial movement and insure that the web will not move laterally when the reel 21 rotates. The leading end of the web 39 is then inserted between the advancing rolls 23, 23a and the operator closes the switch 34 to start the motor 26 whereby the latter advances the web 39 in an elongated path toward the wrapping station of a continuous rod cigarette making machine or toward another station where the web 39 is put to use. The brake shoe 16 insures that the reel 21 cannot rotate at excessive speed such as could cause the formation of loops in the zone between the point where the web 39 leaves the reel and the advancing rolls 23, 23a.

When the reel 21 pays out a predetermined length of web material, its diameter decreases so that the outermost convolution of the web is supported solely by the median supporting rollers 1'2, 113 but is spaced from the outer supporting rollers 11, 14. The braking action of the shoe 16 is now felt through the roller 13, and the roller 1'14 comes to a halt because it is out of contact with the reel 21. The peripheral speed of all such supporting rollers which come in contact with the web 39 equals or approximates the speed of the web.

While the reel 21 continues to pay out the web 39 in response to rotation of the advancing rolls 23, 23a by the motor 26, the lower .switch plate 22a bridges the contacts 29, 3 1 so that the circuit of the motor 26 is completed but the circuit of the signal lamp 25 is open because the spring 22;! biases the switch plate 2 2d upwardly and away from the contacts 30, 38. The bias of the spring 22f is overcome by the weight of the reel 21 when the diameter of this reel is reduced sufiiciently so that the outermost convolution of the web 39 pivots the trip 24 to move the stem 22c axially and to cause the plate 22d to form a current-conducting bridge between the contacts 30, 38. The lamp 25 lights up and the operator (if he is present and watching) is warned that the reel 21 is about to be expended. If the operator fails to notice the signal produced by the lamp 25, the reel v211 (whose diameter is now less than that of :the reel 21') continues to pivot the trip 24 and to move the stem 22c axially downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 4, so that the collar 22s moves the lower switch plate 22a away from the contacts 29, 31 and thereby opens the circuit of the motor 26. The advancing rolls 23, 23a come to a halt in response to the braking action of the shoe 16, and this takes place before the diameter of the reel 21 is reduced to less than the minimal distance between the median supporting rollers 12, 13.

As a rule, the lamp 25 will produce a signal a few minutes before the reel 21 opens the circuit of the motor 26. Since the guide walls 8, 18 and the supporting rollers 111-14 support and guide the reel 21 with great accuracy, the latter may be exceptionally large so that, and provided the web 39 consists of cigarette paper, two, three or four reels will normally suffice to feed cigarette paper to a modern rod cigarette machine during a full shift so that only one, two or three stoppages will be necessary during an eight-hour period. The replacement of an expended reel by a fresh reel may be carried out within a matter of seconds so that the periods of stillstand are extremely short. If the motor 26 drives the main shaft of the rod cigarette machine, and if the operator fails to notice the signal produced by the lamp 25, the entire machine is arrested if the supply of cigarette paper is exhausted so that the percentage of waste is reduced to a minimum.

In actual practice, the likelihood that the operator or operators would fail to notice the signal produced by the lamp 25 is very remote so that the motor 26 is normally arrested by opening the switch 34 rather than by movement of the switch plate 22a away from the contacts 29, 3:1.

It will be noted that the guide walls 8, 18 do not hinder movements of the reel 21 in the plane of the channel 8a '(i.e., at right angles to the axis of the reel), and that such movements are limited by the support-ing rollers 11-14.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified construction of the supporting means and of the detector means which may replace the corresponding parts in the arrangement of FIGS. 1 to 4. The outermost convolution of the web on a fresh reel 55 rests on an endless .supporting belt 50 which is trained around two rollers, 51, 52 and about a third roller 53 which latter actually floats in a loop formed by the lower portion of the belt 50 between the rollers 51, 52. The shafts 51a, 52a of the rollers 51, 52 are fixed to a guide wall 8A, and this guide wall is formed with a vertical guide slot 8B for the shaft 53a of the floating roller 53. The trip 24 may be dispensed with because the stem 54a of a modified detector switch 54 is adjacent to the path of the floating roller 53 and this switch will complete the circuit of a signal generating device when the roller 53 is lifted and approaches the position 53, Le, when the diameter of the reel 55 is reduced to such an extent that the remainder of the reel approaches the position 55'. This remainder of the reel then descends deeper between the rollers 51, 52 and flexes the belt 50 so that the belt approaches the position 50' and lifts the floating roller 53 into engagement with the stem 54:: of the detector switch 54. The switch 54 is a threeposit-ion switch and operates in the same way as described in connection with FIG. 4, i.e., it will complete the circuit of a signal generating device and, if the signal is unnoticed, the switch Will actually open the circuit of the motor which draws the web off the reel 55.

The arrangement shown in FIG. preferably comprises a second guide wall (corresponding to the wall 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2) which has been omitted for the sake of clarity. The rollers 51-53 rotate in the channel between the two guide walls. The position 53 of the floating roller 53 and the position 55 of the reel 55 correspond to that stage of the operation when the detector switch 54 opens the circuit of the motor which draws the web off the reel 55. The belt 50 then assumes the position 50'.

An important advantage of the supporting belt 50 is that a large portion thereof remains in continuous engagement with the outermost convolution of the web and that such large portion of the supporting belt follows very closely the outline of the convoluted material. On the other hand, the provision of two or more supporting rollers which come in actual engagement with the web is of considerable advantage when a fresh reel is not round, i.e., when the convoluted material forms an annular body of noncircular (oval) outline. It is desirable that such oval body should come in mere linear or point contact with portions of two or more spacedly mounted supporting members. The provision of supporting rollers, as shown in FIG. 1, is also of advantage when the convoluted material is comparatively soft so that it undergoes at least some deformation and forms a noncircular body when its outermost convolution comes to rest on the supporting means.

FIG. 6 illustrates a supporting roller 60 whose peripheral surface is provided with projections here shown as inclined ribs 61 having undulate edges 62. In FIG. 7, the outer side of an endless supporting belt 70' (corresponding to the belt 50 of FIG. 5) is provided with straight projections or ribs 71 having edges 71 which are inclined with reference to the longitudinal extension of the belt. The belt 70 is trained around supporting rollers 73 one of which is shown in FIG. 7.

An important advantage of the supporting means shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is that the projections 61, 71 form between themselves grooves which may accommodate short lengths of web material. For example, it happens quite frequently that the convoluti-ons of the web on a reel are undulated so that, in the absence of such grooves between the projections 61 or 71, the undulations of the convoluted web could form a loop which would extend from the reel to the advancing means and would hinder proper advance of the web to the wrapping mechanism of a rod cigarette machine or another machine in which the web is put to use. The projections 61, 71 are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the outermost convolution of a web which is carried by the respective supporting means.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, there is shown a supporting roller 80 which is provided with two supporting flanges 81, 82, one at each axial end thereof. The marginal portions of these flanges are respectively provided with radially extending projections in the form of teeth 83, 84 which form two rows spaced from each other in the axial direction of the reel and whose end faces come in actual contact with the outermost convolution of a convoluted web. The teeth 83 are staggered circumferentially with reference to the teeth 84 (see particularly FIG. 8) so that the projections of the end faces of these teeth into a common plane form a continuous circle to insure that the outermost convolution of a web is properly supported when it comes to rest on two or more rollers of the type shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The teeth 83, 84 extend radially beyond the outlines of the central portion or core of the supporting roller 89 so that this roller resembles a spool with serrated flanges at its axial ends. The length of the teeth 83, 84 (as seen in the circumferential direction of the flanges 81, 82) exceeds the length of the grooves therebetween. Such construction of supporting rollers has beeen found to be of particular advantage in splicing apparatus and in similar structures where a web must be paid out with utmost accuracy because the grooves between the teeth 83, 84 and the space between the flanges 81, 82 will provide room for portions of a web whose convolutions are not flat, i.e., whose convolutions are undulated or otherwise deformed. Also, such construction of a supporting roller insures satisfactory guidance for a web wherein one marginal portion is subjected to less tension than the other marginal portion thereof. The longer (less stretched) marginal portion may expand into the grooves between the teeth 83 or 84.

The end faces of the teeth 83, 84 are roughened to insure satisfactory engagement with the outermost convolution of a web. Such roughening of supporting rollers and/or belts is advisable if the diameter of a fresh reel is very large.

The manner in which a reel R rests on the teeth 83, 84 is illustrated in FIG. 9 by phantom lines.

Referring to FIG. 10, there is shown a supporting roller 96 which is provided with rotary guide means for the convoluted web of a reel, not shown. These guide means take the form of disk-shaped flanges '94, 95 which may be moved toward or away from each other so that the roller 96 may support reels of different width. The supporting portion or core 96a of the roller 96 is non-rotatably secured to hubs 94a, 95a of the flanges 94, 95 by wedges 97, and the hubs 94a, 95a are screwed onto a threaded shaft 91 which is secured to a frame member 90 by a washer 99a and screw 90b. A collar 91a of the shaft 90 abuts against the outer side of the frame member 90. This shaft is provided with two sets of threads having opposite pitch, as at 92, 93, and the threads 92, 93 respectively mesh with internal threads of the hubs 94a, 95a. The shaft 91 is rotatable with respect to the frame member 98 and carries at its outer end a wheel 98 or a similar rotating element which may be grasped by hand. A lock nut 99 normally bears against the outer side of the flange 95. If the lock nut 99 is rotated in a sense to move it away from the flange 95, and if the operator thereupon holds one of the flanges 94, 95 against rotation while simultaneously rotating the wheel 98, the flanges 94, 95 will be compelled to move toward or away from each other because the wedges 97 prevent rotation of one flange when the other is arrested or vice versa. Thus, the flanges actually constitute two adjustable rotary guide walls which may replace the guide walls 8, 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2 and which may be moved toward or away from each other to regulate the width of the channel which accommodates a reel. The diameters of the flanges 94, 95 will depend on the diameter of a fresh reel and/ or on the number of supporting rollers since it is clear that the arrangement shown, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2 may comprise more than four as well as only three or even two supporting rollers.

As soon as the flanges 94, 95 are moved to a requisite distance from each other, the operator rotates the lock nut 99 into abutment with the flange 95 whereby the flanges are positively locked against displacement with reference to each other.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, there is shown a further arrangement Which comprises a series of flanged supporting rollers 101, 102, 103, 104 and a pressing roller 105 which is rotatably supported by one end of a pivotable arm 106. The supporting rollers are rotatable on horizontal or nearly horizontal shafts which are secured to a frame member 100, and each of these supporting rollers including the pressing roller 105 has two axially spaced rotary flanges which correspond to the flanges 94, 95 of the supporting roller 96 shown in FIG. 10. The arm 106 is rockable about a pivot pin 112 which is secured to the frame member 100, and this arm is biased by a helical spring 113 which is secured to the frame member. In other Words, the core of the pressing roller 105 is compelled to bear against the outermost convolution of the reel 109 which is placed onto the su-pporting rollers in such a way that its end faces are straddled by the flanges of these rollers. A- brake 107 whose construction is analogous to that of the brake 16, 17 shown in FIG. 1 engages the cores of the supporting rollers 103, 104 to insure that the rotational speed of the reel 109 will not exceed the speed determined by the advancing rolls 111, 111a for the web 110 which is being paid out by the reel to advance into the rod forming mechanism of a continuous rod cigarette machine. The detector switch 108 includes a stern 108a which may be depressed by a trip 108k corresponding to the trip 24 of FIG. 1. The construction of the detector switch 108 is the same as or similar to that of the switch 22.

In FIG. 11, the diameter of the reel 109 has been reduced to such an extent that the outermost convolution of the web 110 rests solely on the cores of the median supporting rollers 102, 103 is spaced from the cores of the outer supporting rollers 101, 104. The presser roller 105 follows the reel 109 and moves in a direction toward the detector switch 108 when the motor which drives the advancing roll 111 and/or 111a is in operation.

FIG. 12 shows that the spring 113 engages the arm 106 substantially midway between the pin 112 and the pressing roller 105. It is also shown that each of the rollers 101-105 comprises a wheel 90', a locking nut 99', and two flanges 94', 95'.

FIG. 13 illustrates a drive for the supporting rollers which may be used in an arrangement of the type shown in FIGS. 1-2 or 11-12. The supporting rollers were omitted for the sake of clarity but FIG. 13 shows four shafts 122, 123, 124, 125 each of which is rigidly secured to a supporting roller. The shafts 122125 are mounted in a frame member 120 and extend through a guide wall 121 which corresponds to the guide wall 8 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The other guide wall has been omitted for the sake of clarity. The shafts 122-125 respectively carry sprockets 127, 128, 129, 130 which are mounted in the space between the guide wall 121 and frame member 120, and these sprockets are driven by an endless chain 131 which is trained around a driver sprocket 126 mounted on a shaft 132 Which also carries a pulley 133 driven by a V belt 134. There is an adjustable sprocket or roller 131 which subjects the chain 131 to requisite tension. The driver pulley (not shown) for the belt 134 is driven by the motor which also drives the advancing rolls, and the transmission ratio is selected in such a way that the supporting rollers on the shafts 122-125 rotate the reel at a speed which is substantially equal to but does not exceed the speed of the web when the apparatus is in actual use. In other words, and assuming that the supporting rollers 101-104 of FIG. 11 are rotated by the drive of FIG. 13, the peripheral speed of the cores of these rollers does not exceed the speed at which the advancing rolls 111, 111a draw the web 110 toward the wrapping mechanism of a rod cigarette machine. The rotational speed of the supporting rollers is preferably somewhat less but never greater than the forward speed of the web to make sure that the web is 10 not looped while it travels toward the advancing rolls 111, 111a.

The provision of a drive for the supporting rollers is of considerable advantage when the diameter of a fresh reel is very large because the force necessary to rotate such a reel varies within a wide range. Thus, and if the supporting rollers of FIG. 11 are not driven, a large force will be necessary to rotate a fresh reel whose diameter exceeds the diameter of the reel 109. When the supply of convoluted material on the reel 109 is nearly exhausted, the force needed to rotate the advancing rolls 111, 111a Will be much smaller. The material of the web is likely to tear or to slide with respect to the advancing rolls 1111, 111a when the motor which drives these rolls begins to unwind material from a fresh web.

FIG. 14 shows the construction and mounting of a supporting roller which may be used in the structure of FIG. 1, 11 or 13. The shaft 141 of this roller comprises a smaller-diameter stub which is rotatable in antifric-tion bearings 142, 143 respectively mounted in a guide wall 144 and a frame member 145. A sprocket 146 is nonrotatably secured to the shaft 141 by a wedge 147 so that the roller 140 must share all angular movements of this sprocket. It will be noted that the sprocket 146 is accommodated in the space between the frame member and guide wall 144. In the embodiment of FIG. 14, the roller 140 resembles a barrel so that its peripheral surface is in mere point contact with the outermost convolution of a web, but it will be understood that this roller may be replaced by a roller of the type shown in the preceding illustrations and that, if the roller 140 is provided with flanges corresponding to the flanges 94, 95 or 94', 95', the guide wall 144 may be dispensed with or merely serves to support the shaft 141.

In FIG. 14a, there is shown a greatly simplified construction of combined supporting and guide means for a reel 504. The guide means comprises a single guide wall 501 which is inclined with reference to a vertical plane and which is secured to a frame member 500 by brackets 501a. This wall 501 carries several supporting rollers including the rollers 502, 503 which engage the outermost convolution of the web on the reel 504. When the reel 504 is placed against the exposed (right-hand) surface of the guide wall 501, it automatically slides into contact with the supporting rollers 502, 503 and is in proper position in which it is held by gravity against axial movement with reference to the guide wall. This construction is of particular advantage because a fresh reel may be inserted from the front side of the apparatus which is of importance if there is no room for insertion of a fresh reel from above or sidewise. For example, it can happen that the reel containing a supply of cigarette paper is to be accommodated in a space which is large enough to receive the reel from the front side but is otherwise fully enclosed by various machine parts so that the reel could not be inserted in any other direction. Also, the axial play of the reel is minimal. If desired, the exposed surface of the guide wall 501 may be provided with friction reducing means, such as balls or the like, to reduce friction with the convolutions on the reel 504.

It will be noted that the inclined guide wall 501 does not prevent axial movement of the reel 504 in a direction to the right, as viewed in FIG. 14a. However, the inclination of the exposed surface of the wall 501 is such that one end face of the convoluted web material remains in abutment therewith even though the reel is free to move in a plane which is parallel with the wall. The axes of the supporting rollers 502, 503 are perpendicular to the plane of the wall 501.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, there is shown a splicing apparatus in which the leading end of the web 218 on a fresh reel 211 is spliced by adhesive tape 219 to the trailing end of a web 204 which is being paid out by a preceding reel 203'. The apparatus comprises advancing means here shown as including two cooperating rolls 23,

23a which draw the web 204 from the partially exhausted reel 203'. This reel is placed on a first supporting means including a pair of barrel-shaped supporting rollers 201, 202 so that the outermost convolution of the web 204 is in mere point contact with the peripheries of these supporting rollers. The web 204 is led through a gap 205a defined by a pair of splicing members including an upper splicing roller 205 which is free to rotate about the axis of a horizontal shaft and a lower splicing roller 217 which is formed with a flat peripheral surface portion 217a. The peripheries of the rollers 205, 217 may be provided with coats or resilient friction generating material. The surface portion 217a is normally located in a horizontal plane at a level below the lowermost point on the periphery of the upper splicing roller 205 so that the width of the gap 205a exceeds several times the thickness of the web 204 which means that this web is normally spaced from the flat surface portion 2117a.

The reel 203' is received in a vertical channel 200a defined by a guide means 208 including a pair of fixed guide walls 209, 210 (see FIG. 16) whose configuration is such that they afford access to the reel 203' as well as to the fresh reel 211 which is placed on a second supporting means including two barrel-shaped supporting rollers 221, 222. The peripheral surfaces of the rollers 221, 222 are in mere point contact with the outermost convolution of the web 213 which is convoluted on the reel 211. The lower portion of the guide Wall 210 is secured to an upright frame member 215 by horizontal brackets 213, 214, and this frame member carries a plurality of additional brackets or spacer members 214a which are connected with the guide wall 209. The channel 208a defined by the guide walls 209, 210 is dimensioned in such a way that it can accommodate two reels (203, 211) at a time and that the reels are held against wobbling even though they need not be mounted on spindles.

A plate-like base or table 220 is located at a point upstream of the splicing roller 217 and its upper side is disposed in the plane of the surface portion 217a. A cutter including a stationary knife 207 and a movable knife 206 is located adjacent to the path of the web 204 at a point upstream of the splicing roller 205, and the movable knife 206 is pivotable across the common plane of the reels 203, 211.

A detector device including a spring-biased trip 216 is located between the supporting rollers 201, 202 and serves to initiate a series of operations as soon as the diameter of the reel 203 is reduced to a predetermined diameter, i.e., when the reel 203 assumes the position 203 and is ready to be discarded or to receive a new supply of cigarette paper or similar flexible web material. The trip 216 of the detector device initiates the following operations:

(1) The movable knife 206 is caused or allowed to move across the plane of the reels 203', 211 and to cooperate with the fixed knife 207 so as to sever the web 204.

(2) The movable knife 206 then causes a servomotor 600 (see FIG. 16a) to rotate the splicing roller 217 through one full revolution (in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 15), so as to attach the adhesive tape 219 to the trailing end of the web 204 which was severed by the cutter 206, 207.

(3) The movable knife 206 causes rotation of the supporting rollers 221, 222 so that the fresh reel 211 begins to pay out the web 218.

The reel 211 delivers the web 218 through the gap 205a and between the advancing rolls 23, 23a whereby its diameter decreases and the reel 211 finally assumes the position 211. The operator then resorts to a short stick 601 or a similar elongated transfer element which is inserted through the central aperture 223a in the core 223 of the reel 211 (in the position 211 resp. 223') and through elongated guide slots 212 provided in the guide walls 209, 210, to transfer the reel 211 onto the supporting rollers 201, 202. The remainder of the reel 203' (in the position 203) is removed from the channel 208a in a preceding step so that the partially expended reel 211 comes to rest on the supporting rollers 201, 202 and continues to pay out the web 218 through the gap 205a because the supporting rollers 201, 202 are driven.

Each guide wall resembles the letter r to reduce friction between the reel and the guide means 208, and each slot 212 has a downwardly extending substantially vertical end portion and an inclined median portion which extends from a level above the supporting rollers 221,

22 to above the supporting rollers 201, 202.

FIG. 16a illustrates the drive mechanism of the splicing apparatus. An electric motor 602 drives a main shaft 603 which rotates the supporting roller 202 through pulleys 604, 605 and belt 606. The main shaft 603 also drives the advancing rolls 23, 23a through a first pair of pulleys 607, 608, a belt 609, a second pair of pulleys 610, 611 and a belt 612.

The main shaft 603 is drivingly connected with the driving element 614 of an electromagnetic clutch 613 via pulleys 615, 616 and belt 617, and the element 614 may rotate a driven clutch element 618 which serves to rotate the supporting roller 222. Thus, the clutch 613 is mounted in the power train between the motor 602 and the supporting rollers 221, 222.

The movable knife 206 is pivotable about a pivot pin 620 and is normally held in retracted position by the core 621 of a solenoid 622. This knife 206 is biased by a spring 623 which tends to pivot it in a plane perpendicular to the common vertical plane of the reels 203', 211 so that the cutting edge of the knife 206 will cooperate with the fixed knife 207 to sever the web 204.

The knife 206 carries a trip 625 which may actuate a switch 626 in the circuit of the electromagnetic clutch 613 so that this clutch is energized and rotates the supporting roller 222 when the knife 206 severs the web 204.

The belts and pulleys of the drive mechanism shown in FIGS. 15, 16 and 16a may be replaced by chains and sprockets without departing from the spirit of my invention.

FIG. 16b illustrates the electric circuit of the splicing apparatus. The motor 602 is connected in circuit with a source 630 of electrical energy and drives the main shaft 603 when the operator closes a main switch 631 and a starter switch 632. The switch 626 which may complete the circuit of the electromagnetic clutch 613 is arranged to be closed by the solenoid 622 (through the intermediary of the trip 625) so that the supporting roller 222 will begin to rotate when the movable knife 206 has severed the web 204. The circuit of the solenoid 622 may be completed by a detector switch 635 whose trip 216 is moved by the reel 203' (in the position 203). The switch 635 then completes the circuit of the servomotor 600 which causes the splicing roller 217 to complete a full revolution and to come to rest in the position of FIG. 15. This servomotor 600 may be a selsyn or a similar machine of known construction which causes a part connected therewith to rotate through a predetermined angle when the detector switch 635 is closed. The exact construction of the servomotor 600 forms no part of my invention. The peripheral speed of the roller 217 equals the forward speed of the web 204.

Referring again to FIGS. 15 and 16, the supporting rollers 222, 223 are coaxially secured to pulleys 640 (one shown in FIG. 16), and a third pulley 641 is mounted at a level below the pulleys 640. A belt 642 trained around the pulleys 640, 641 serves to rotate the supporting rollers 221, 222 at identical speed and in the same direction.

Similar pulleys 643 (one shown in FIG. 16a) are connected with supporting rollers 201, 202 and a belt 644, trained around pulleys 643 and around a further pulley 645, serves to drive the supporting roller 202 at the speed of and in the same direction as the supporting roller 201.

The motor 602 is the main motor of a rod cigarette making machine which produces a continuous tobacco rod and wraps the rod into cigarette paper delivered consecutively by reels 203', 211 and by further fresh reels, not shown. The construction of the rod cigarette making machine forms no part of my present invention.

The splicing apparatus of FIGS. 15 and 16 operates as follows:

To start the operation, the person in charge places a fresh reel 203 into the channel 203a so that the outermost convolution of the web 204 rests on the supporting rollers 221, 222. The leading end of the web 204 is introduced through the gap 205a, between the advancing rolls 23, 23a and into the rod forming mechanism of a rod cigarette making machine in a manner well known in the art. The operator then closes the switches 631, 632 whereby the motor 602 drives the advancing rolls 23, 23a and the supporting rollers 221, 222 be cause an exhausted reel rests on the supporting rollers 201, 202 in a position as shown at 203. This means that the solenoid 622 is energized because the detector switch 635 is closed and the spring 623 is free to maintain the knife 206 in operative position in which the trip 625 closes the switch 626. The switch 626 completes the circuit of the electromagnetic clutch 613 so that the clutch element 618 rotates the supporting roller 222. This supporting roller, in turn, rotates the supporting roller 221 via pulleys 640, 641 and belt 642. The servomotor 600 is idle and the surface portion 217a of the lower splicing roller 217 is located in a horizontal plane as shown in FIG. 15.

The reel 203' continues to pay out the web 204 which passes through the gap 205a and between the advancing rolls 23, 23a to be wrapped around a tobacco rod which is led into the rod forming mechanism. When the diameter of the reel 203 diminishes so that this reel assumes a position corresponding to the position 211', the operator inserts the transfer element 601 which passes through the aperture 224a in the core 224 and through the guide slots 212 to transfer the remainder of the reel 203' onto the supporting rollers 201, 202 which are driven via pulleys 604, 605, 643, 645 and belts 606, 644. The remainder of the reel 203 then occupies a position corresponding to the phantom-line position of FIG. 15 and continues to pay out the web 204 which now passes around the upper splicing roller 205 and toward the advancing rolls 23, 23a. This means that the reel 203' is free to pay out the web 204 at the time it is being transferred from the supporting rollers 221, 222 onto the supporting rollers 201, 202.

Prior to transferring the remainder of the reel 203, the operator removes the rest of the preceding reel (which has occupied a position corresponding to the position 203 of FIG. 15) whereby the spring-biased trip 216 opens the circuit of the detector switch 635 to deenergize the clutch 613 and to arrest the supporting rollers 221, 222. The advancing rolls 23, 23a continue to draw the web 204 ofi the partially exhausted reel 203 which rests on the supporting rollers 221, 222 and, prior to transferring the remainder of the reel 203' onto the supporting rollers 201, 202, the operator also returns the movable knife 206 to the full-line position of FIG. 15 in which the knife is moved out of the plane of the channel 208a to enable the remainder of the reel 203 to move forwardly and to come to rest on the supporting rollers 201, 202.

In other words, prior to actually transferring the remainder of the reel 203' onto the supporting rollers 201, 202, the operator must remove the exhausted reel so that the detector switch 635 opens, and the operator also returns the knife 206 to the inoperative position of FIG. 16a. The core 621 automatically retains the knife 206 in such idle position because the solenoid 622 is deenergized as soon as the detector switch 635 opens.

While the remainder of the reel 203 (now in the.

phantom-line position of FIG. 15 continues to pay out the web 204- which passes around the splicing roller 217 and toward the advancing rolls 23, 23a, the operator places a fresh reel 211 onto the supporting rollers 221, 222. This reel then assumes the full-line position of FIG. 15 but does not discharge the web 218 because the supporting rollers 221, 222 are idle. This will be readily understood since the diameter of the remainder of the reel 203' has not decreased to such an extent that its outermost convolution would reach the trip 2116.

The operator takes the leading end of the web 218 and.

attaches thereto a portion of adhesive splicing tape 219 so that one side of the tape which is coated with adhesive faces upwardly and may adhere to the underside of the web 204 when the splicing step begins. The leading end of the web 218 is placed onto the base 220 so that the tape 219 overlies the flat surface portion 217a of the lower splicing roller 217.

The operator is now free to inspect other parts of the machine or to relax because the actual splicing step is completed in a fully automatic way as follows:

The diameter of the remainder of the reel 203' diminishes gradually until this reel assumes the position 203 of FIG. 15 in which the trip 216 closes the circuit of the detector switch 635 and the latter initiates a series of operations. Thus, as the circuit of the detector switch 635 is completed, the solenoid 622 is energized whereby the core 621 is withdrawn and the spring 623 is free to move the knife 206 across the plane of the channel 208a so that the knife 206 cooperates with the fixed knife 207 1 and severs the web 204. At the same time, the trip 625 on the knife 206 completes the circuit of the switch 626 which energizes the clutch 613 so that the supporting rollers 221, 222 begin to rotate and advance the web 218 through the gap 205a. Also, the trip 216 completes the circuit of the servomotor 600 so that the lower splicing roller 217 makes one full revolution and the circular splicing portion of its peripheral surface presses the adhesive tape 219 against the underside of the web 204 so that the trailing end of this web is connected with the leading end of the web 218. The reel 203' (in the position 203) may continue to rotate but it cannot feed the web 204 into the gap 205a because this web (if anything is still left of it) is simply rewound onto the core 224 of the reel 203' or, alternatively, the pulley 604 ceases to rotate the roller 202 in response to deenergization of a second clutch 613 (shown in phantom lines) similar to the clutch 613 and mounted on the main shaft 603 between the motor 602 and pulley 604.

If the operator desires, he may remove the exhausted reel 203 (in the position 203) as soon as the splicing operation is completed so that the supporting rollers 201, 202 do not carry a reel. The web 218 is being paid out by the reel 211 which rests on the supporting rollers 221, 222 and these rollers continue to be driven as long "as the movable knife 206 remains in operative position.

The operator then simply leaves the reel 211 on the rollers 221, 222 until the diameter of this reel diminishes (see the position 211 in FIG. 15) at which time the reel 211 is transferred onto the rollers 201, 202 as soon as the knife 206 is pivoted back to the position of FIG. 16a to deenergize the clutch 613 and to thus arrest the supporting rollers 221, 222. The same procedure is then repeated with a fresh reel, not shown, which is placed onto the rollers 221, 222 but does not rotate until after its leading end (to which the operator applies a splicing tape 219) is connected with the trailing end of the web 218.

It will be noted that the supporting rollers 201, 202 are located at a level above the supporting rollers 221, 222, This is of advantage because the web 218 is caused to advance in a horizontal path as long as it is being paid out while the reel 211 rests on the rollers 221, 222.

The guide walls 209, 210 and the rollers 201, 202 and 221, 222 prevent any tilting of reels in the channel 208a which is of particular importance when a web advancing in the path toward and beyond the gap 205a is printed prior to entering the rod forming mechanism. I is highly desirable that each printed matter be applied with utmost accuracy because smokers will be reluctant to purchase cigarettes whose paper is imprinted in haphazard fashion.

If desired, the splicing apparatus may comprise a second detector device placed between the supporting rollers 221, 222 and operative when the diameter of the fresh reel is reduced to the diameter of the reel 211 in the position 211 of FIG. 15. This second detector device may produce a visible or audible signal in a manner as de-' scribed in connection with FIG. 4 so that the operator is warned that the partially expended reel must be transferred onto the supporting rollers 201, 202.

As shown in FIG. 15, the distance between the supporting rollers 201, 202 is less than the distance between the supporting rollers 221, 222. These distances are selected in such a way that an expended reel will actuate the trip 216 at the time it has paid out all or nearly all of its web material and that a partially expended reel which is transferred onto the supporting rollers 201, 202 will last long enough to allow for proper insertion of a fresh reel onto the rollers 221, 222 of the second supporting means.

The motor 602 drives the main shaft 603 through a variable speed transmission which is mounted in the housing of the motor.

FIGS. 17 to 26 illustrate a second splicing apparatus which is mounted on an upright frame member 300. This frame member supports two spaced vertical guide walls 307, 308 and two pairs of supporting rollers 301, 302 and 303, 304. A fresh reel 305 is placed onto the supporting rollers 301, 302 and a partially expended reel 306 (corresponding to the reel 203 of FIG. 15) is placed onto the supporting rollers 303, 304-. The configuration of the guide walls 307, 308 is similar to that of the guide Walls 209, 210 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, and the walls 307, 308 are provided with aligned guide slots 309 which resemble the character r. The frame member 300 further supports an electromagnet 310 which controls the operation of a cutter mechanism including a movable knife 312 and a fixed knife 370. The movable knife 312 is mounted on a spring-biased two-armed lever 311 which cooperates with a two-armed motion transmitting lever 313. A third lever 314 cooperates with the electromagnet 310 and serves to complete the circuit of a clutch which drives a splicing roller 315 corresponding to the splicing roller 217 of FIG. 15 and having a fiat peripheral surface portion 322. A second splicing roller 316 is freely rotatable about the axis of a horizontal shaft carried by the frame member 300 and performs the same function as the splicing roller 205 of FIG. 15.

The web 317 which is convoluted on the reel 306 is led around a deflecting roller 318, around the aforementioned splicing roller 316, and around a second deflecting roller 319. The leading end portion of the web 320 which is convoluted on the reel 305 forms a small loop which is supported by a base here shown as an idler roller 321. The leading end of this web 320 is provided with an adhesive tape (corresponding to the tape 219) or a similar adhesive material and is placed onto the flat surface portion 322 of the splicing roller 315.

A detector switch 323 (corresponding to the switch 635) is mounted in the space between the supporting rollers 303, 304 and serves to control the electromagnet 310. The rotary parts of the splicing apparatus shown in FIGS. 17 to 26 are driven by a pulley 324 whose hearing housing 325 is provided with arcuate slots 326 enabling the operator to adjust the position of the pulley 324 so as to subject te belt which is trained around the pulley 324 to requisite tension. The shaft 328 of the pulley 324 is 335 which is trained around sprockets 336, 337 for the supporting rollers 301, 302. The chain 335 drives a further sprocket 339 which is mounted on a shaft 338, and this shaft also carries a sprocket 340 which drives a chain 341 trained around a sprocket 342. The sprocket 342 is mounted on a shaft 343 of the splicing roller 315. The sprocket 334 on the shaft 332 drives a chain 345 which is trained around sprockets 346, 347 respectively mounted on shafts 348, 349 for the supporting rollers 303, 304. The sprockets 336, 337 drive the shafts 350, 351 of the supporting rollers 301, 302.

FIG. 19 illustrates the cutter mechanism 312, 370 and an operative connection between the cutter mechanism and the sprockets 333, 334 for the supporting rollers 301, 302 and 303, 304. The frame member 300 supports a bearing bracket 360 for a pivot 361 which in turn supports the two-armed lever 311 for the movable knife 312. The knife 312 is mounted on the right-hand arm 363 of the lever 311, as viewed in FIG. 19. The other arm 365 of the lever 311 engages one arm 367 of the motion transmitting lever 313. The other arm 368 of the lever 313 is biased by a resilient element here shown as a helical spring 369 which is secured to the frame member 300 and which tends to maintain the arm 367 in abutment with the arm 365. The fixed knife 370 is secured to the bracket 360, but it may be fixed directly to the frame member 300 if desired.

The free end of the arm 368 of the motion transmitting lever 313 carries an actuating member here shown as a trip 371 which extends into a passage 372 provided in the upper end of a switching member 373. The lever 313 is pivotable about a pin 374 which is mounted in a bracket 375 carried by the frame member 300. The lower end of the switching member 373 is rigid with a bearing cup 376 which accommodates an antifriction bearing 377 for a clutch shaft 378. This clutch shaft is mounted in such a way that it is free to rotate but that it is held against axial movement with reference to the bearing cup 376, i.e., the shaft 378 must share all axial movements of the cup 376 in response to pivoting of the motion transmitting lever 313. The aforementioned shaft 332 is hollow and surrounds the lower portion of the clutch shaft 378. The lower end of this clutch shaft carries a clutch element having two claws 379, see particularly FIG. 22, and these claws extend through a diametral slot 380 (FIG. 21) provided in the shaft 332. The shaft 332 is rotatable in bearings 382, 383 provided in the frame member 300 and in a second frame member 381 which is a plate parallel to the plate-like member 300. The sprockets 333, 334 are freely rotatable on the shaft 332 but are held against axial movement with respect thereto. These sprockets 333, 334 are respectively provided with complementary claws 384, 385 which are adjacent to and are disposed at the opposite sides of the claws 379. The configuration of the claws 385 is similar.

FIG. 20 illustrates the structure of FIG. 19 in a top plan view corresponding to the front elevational view of FIG. 17. It will be noted that the passage 372 has two enlarged end portions of semispherical shape so that the trip 371 is free to swivel with respect to the switching member 373.

FIG. 23 illustrates the mounting of the shaft 328 for the driver pulley 324. This pulley comprises two flanges one of which is adjustable axially with reference to the other thereof in a manner well known in the art. Two antifriction bearings 328a, 3281) for the shaft 324 are 17 mounted in the bearing housing 325 which accommodates the aforementioned gear 330 in mesh with the gear 331. The gear 331 is non-rotatably secured to the shaft 332, see FIG. 19.

FIG. 24 shows the splicing station including the splicing rollers 315, 316 and the electromagnet 310. The pivot 361 for the lever 311 is surrounded by a torsion spring 386 one end of which is secured to a fixed collar 387 and the other end of which is anchored in the arm 363 of the lever 3 11. This spring 361 tends to pivot the knife 312 toward the fixed knife 370 and across the path of the web 317. The recipro-cable core 388 of the electromagnet 310 is surrounded by a helical expansion spring 390 and its free end carries a locking pin 389 which normally holds the arm 363 against the bias of the torsion spring 386. The locking pin 389 may enter a suitable recess provided in the arm 363 or directly in the movable knife 312. The spring 390 bears against the casing of the electromagnet 310 and against a collar 391 on the core 388. This core carries a second collar 391a which is axially spaced from the collar 391 so that the two collars provide an annular space for the free end of the lever 314. This lever 314 is mounted on a shaft 392 which also supports a fourth lever 393 for a control roller 394. The roller 394 serves to actuate a clutch which drives the splicing roller 315 which latter is mounted on the shaft 343, and more particularly on a smaller-diameter end portion 395 of this shaft. As shown in FIG. 25, the shaft 343 is rotatable in frame members 300, 381 and its end portion 395 is non-rotatably secured to the splicing roller 315. In the space between the frame members 300, 381, the shaft 343 carries the aforementioned sprocket 342 which is driven by the chain 341, and this sprocket 342 is free to rotate on the shaft 343. A clutch disk 396 is non-rotatably fixed to the shaft 343, see also FIG. 26, and carries a bell crank lever 397 which is engaged by the control roller 394 on the lever 393. The bell crank lever 397 is rockable about a pivot pin 398 which is mounted on the clutch disk 396, and this lever has an arm 399 which is engaged by the control roller 394. The lever 393 abuts against the peripheral surface of the disk 396. In the position of FIG. 26, the end of the lever 393 extends into a concave recess 400 provided in a fiat peripheral surface portion 401 of the disk 396. The roller 394 then causes the lever 397 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 26, and to move the arm 399 inwardly toward the shaft 343. The other arm 402 of the lever 397 carries a pallet 403 which is then moved away from radially arranged teeth 404 provided on the sprocket 342 and surrounding the shaft 343. The arm 402 is biased by a clutch spring 405 which tends to maintain the pallet 403 on the arm 402 in engagement with one of the teeth 404. The spring 405 is secured to the clutch disk 396 by a screw 406, and the lever 393 is rigid with the lever 314.

The splicing apparatus of FIGS. 17 to 26 operates as follows:

When the revolving reel 306 continues to pay out the web 317 so that its diameter decreases progressively and the expended reel reaches the position 306' of FIG. 17, the outermost convolution of the web 317 actuates the detector switch 323 to complete the circuit of this switch for a short period of time and to thereby energize the electromagnet 310. The electromagnet withdraws the core 388 and disengages the locking pin 389 from the arm 363 of the lever 311 so that the torsion spring 386 is free to pivot the movable knife 312 toward the fixed knife 370 and the two knives cooperate to sever the web 317. The arm 365 of the lever 311 then releases the motion transmitting lever 313 which follows the bias of the spring 369 and its trip 371 then moves the switching member 373 downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 19. The switching member 373 entrains the cup 376 and the clutch shaft 378 whereby the claws 379 move into engagement with the claws 384 of the sprocket 333. Heretofore, the claws 379 were in engagement with the claws 385 of the sprocket 18 334 so that the sprocket 334 was compelled to rotate with the shaft 332 and gear 331. The sprocket 333 is now coupled to the shaft 332 and is driven by the gear 331 to drive the chain 335 which in turn drives the sprockets 336, 337 and the shafts 350, 351 of the supporting rollers 301, 302. This means that the rollers 301, 302 begin to rotate the fresh reel 305 in a clockwise direction, as

viewed in FIG. 17. The chain 335 drives the sprockets 339, 340 on the shaft 338 so that the sprocket 340 drives the chain 341 and sprocket 342 on the shaft 343 of the splicing roller 315. The shaft 343 is fixed to the disk 396, see FIG. 26. When the core 388 of the electromagnet 310 was retracted against .the bias of the spring 388, the collar 391a has rocked the lever 314 which has caused similar movement of the lever 393 and control roller 394. The roller 394 is now withdrawn radially of and away from the shaft 343 because the end of the lever 393 moves out of the recess 400 in the fiat surface portion 401 of the clutch disk 396. Thus, the roller 394 allows the bell crank lever 397 to pivot in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 26, and to move the pallet 403 into engagement 'the leading end of the web 320 against the trailing end with one of the teeth 404 whereby the disk 396 begins to rotate together with the splicing roller 315 which completes a full revolution but not more because the electromagnet 310 is deenergized for a short period of time and immediately releases the core 388 so that the spring 390 is free to expand and to move the collar 391 against the lever 31 4. The lever 314 then pivots the lever 393 and control roller 394 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 24 and 26, so that the end of the lever 393 returns into the recess 400 and the roller 394 simultaneously pivots the bell crank lever 397 in a counterclockwise direction to move the pallet 403 away from the teeth 404 and to disconnect the sprocket 342 from the clutch disk 396. Thus, the clutch shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 serves to rotate the splicing roller 315 through one full revolution in response to short energization of the electromagnet 310, and the splicing roller 315 is then automatically arrested in such position that its flat surface portion 322 may support the leading end of the web on another fresh reel replacing the reel 305 shown in FIG. 17. The operative position of the bell crank lever 397 (in which the pallet 403 engages one of the teeth 404 on the sprocket 342) is illustrated in FIG. 26 by phantom lines.

When the splicing roller 315 rotates, its non-flattened peripheral surface portion presses the adhesive tape on of the web 317 which was severed by the movable knife 312 so that the web 320 is united with the web 317 and begins to travel toward the wrapping mechanism of the rod cigarette making machine, not shown. Thus, the splicing operation is carried out in a fully automatic way as soon as the diameter of the partially expended reel 306 (in the position 306' of FIG. 17) is reduced to such an extent that the reel 306 actuates the switch 323 and thus energizes the electromagnet 310. The lever 313 remains disconnected from the lever 311 so that the claws 379 continue to rotate the sprocket 333 and the supporting rollers 301, 302 for the fresh reel 305. The reel 306 is not driven because the claws 379 are disconnected from the claws 385 on the sprocket 334 which latter serves to drive the supporting rollers 303, 304 for the reel 306 in a manner as described in connection with FIG. 18.

When the diameter of the reel 305 is reduced sufficiently, i.e., when the partially expended reel 305 moves to the phantom-line position 305' of FIG. 17, this reel produces an audible or visible signal in a manner described in connection with FIG. 4 but not shown in FIG. 17, whereby the operator is warned that the reel 305 (in the position 305) must be transferred onto the supporting rollers 303, 304. This is performed in the same way as described in connection with FIGS. 15 and 16, namely, the operator first pivots the movable knife 312 back to the position of FIG. 24 to engage the locking pin 389 with the arm 363, and the operator also removes 19 r the expended reel 306 from the channel defined by the guide walls 307, 308 to provide room for the partially expended reel 305'. By moving the knife 312 out of the path of the web 320, the operator insures that the web 320 may be trained around the deflecting rollers 318, 319 and around the splicing roller 316. Also, when the operator reengages the arm 363 with the locking pin 389, the arm 365 of the lever 311 pivots the arm 367 of the lever 313 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 19, so that the arm 368 moves against the bias of the spring 369 and the clutch shaft 378 withdraws the claws 379 from engagement with the claws 384 of the sprocket 333 to arrest the supporting rollers 301, 302. At the same time, the claws 379 engage the claws 385 on the sprocket 334 so that this sprocket begins to drive the supporting rollers 303, 304 preparatory to transfer of the partially expended reel 305' into the space occupied in FIG. 17 by the reel 306. Thus, the reel 305' will begin to rotate as soon as it comes to rest on the rollers 303, 304 and continues to pay out the web 320 through the gap between the splicing rollers 315, 316.. The arrested supporting rollers 301, 302 are now ready to support another fresh reel of convoluted web material whose leading end is provided with a length of adhesive tape and is placed onto the flat surface portion 322 of the lower splicing roller 315 whereby the splicing operation may be carried out in a fully automatic way as soon as the diameter of the reel 305' (now on the supporting rollers 303, 304) is reduced to equal the diameter of the reel 306' shown in FIG. 17.

It goes without saying that the various types of supporting and guide means shown in FIGS. 1 to 14a may be utilized in the splicing apparatus of FIGS. 15 to 1617 or 17 to 26 without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention. Thus, the supporting rollers 201, 202, 221, 222, 301, 302, 303 and 304 may be constructed as shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 7, 8, or 14, and the guide means may consist of separate pairs of guide walls for each reel which is accommodated in the splicing apparatus, or each reel may be guided by a single wall in a manner shown in FIG. 14a.

The arrangement and apparatus of my invention are especially suited for handling of reels having a large diam- -eter but of short axial length. Thus, the diameter of a fresh reel normally exceeds at least ten times the distance between the end faces of the convoluted web material.

In many conventional splicing apparatus, the cylindrical core of a reel is mounted on a shaft and the end faces of the convoluted web material are engaged by disks or similar pressing elements which tend to prevent wobbling of the reel. In such apparatus, the operator must spend considerable time to remove the core of an exhausted reel and to place a fresh reel into the machine. Also, such pressing elements produce excessive frictional forces which may tear a web of cigarette paper or similar material of comparatively small tensile strength. The'construction of such conventional apparatus is even more complicated if the shaft for the core of a reel is driven to rotate the reel at the speed of the advancing mechanism which draws the web into the wrapping mechanism. As a rule, all

known splicing apparatus of which I am aware at this time must be equipped with aligning or straightening devices which hold the web against lateral movement. The apparatus of the present invention has been found to operate very satisfactorily without any aligning devices because the arrangement of the aforedescribed supporting and guide means prevents all uncontrolled lateral movements of the web. This is of utmost importance in many types of modern filter cigarette making machines wherein space is at a premium so that a reduction in the number of parts necessary to insure satisfactory guidance of the web is very desirable.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the gentric and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a splicing apparatus wherein webs are drawn from consecutive reels and wherein the leading end of a web which is convoluted on a fresh reel is united with the trailing end of a web which is paid out by the preceding reel, in combination, advancing means arranged to move a web in an elongated path; guide means arranged to locate a pair of reels in a common plane; first supporting means for carrying the outer-most convolution of the web on one of said pair of reels so that said one reel rotates when its web is engaged by said advancing means; a pair of splicing members adjacent to the opposite sides of said elongated path and defining a gap wide enough to permit a web to pass with substantial play, one of said splicing members having a splicing portion movable toward and away from the other splicing member to change the width of said gap; second supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of the web on the other of said pair of reels so that an operator may apply an adhesive member to the leading end of the web on said other reel prior to inserting the adhesive member into said gap; and a detector device arrange-d to detect the decrease in diameter of said one reel and operative when said one reel is reduced to a predetermined diameter to initiate movement of said splicing portion toward the other splicing member for connecting the adhesive member in said gap with the web of said one reel whereby the web of said other reel begins to advance in said elongated path.

2. In a splicing apparatus wherein webs are drawn from consecutive reels and wherein the leading end of a web which is convoluted on a fresh reel is united by adhesive tape with the trailing end of a web which is paid out by the preceding reel, in combination, advancing means arranged to move a web in an elongated path; guide means arranged to locate a pair of reels in a common plane; first supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of the web on one of said pair of reels so that said one reel rotates when its Web is engaged by said advancing means; a pair of rotary splicing members adjacent to the opposite sides of said elongated path and defining a gap wide enough to permit a web to pass with substantial play, one of said splicing members having a splicing portion movable toward and away from the other splicing member to change the width of said gap; second supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of the web on the other of said pair of reels so that an operator may apply a length of adhesive tape to the leading end of the web on said other reel prior to inserting the tape into said gap; and a detector device arranged to detect the decrease in diameter of said one reel and operative when said one reel is reduced to a predetermined diameter to initiate movement of said splicing portion toward the other splicing member for connecting adhesive tape in said gap with the web of said one reel whereby the web of said other reel begins to advance in said elongated path, said guide means being constructed and arranged to permit transfer of said other reel onto said first supporting means upon removal of said one reel so that a fresh reel may be placed onto said second supporting means while said other reel continues to pay out the web through said gap.

3. In a splicing apparatus wherein webs are drawn from consecutive reels and wherein the leading ends of a web which is convoluted on a fresh reel is united by adhesive material with the trailing end of a web which is paid out by the preceding reel, in combination, advancing means arranged to move a web in an elongated path; guide means ar-rangedto locate a pair of reels in a common plane; first supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of the web on one of said pair of reels so that said one reel rotates when its web is engaged by said advancing means; a pair of splicing rollers adjacent to the opposite sides of said path, one of said rollers having a flat peripheral surface portion normally adjacent to the periphery of the other splicing roller to define therewith a gap which is wide enough to permit a web to pass with substantial play, said splicing rollers being rotatable with reference to each other whereby the width of said gap is reduced and a web passing through the gap is engaged by both said splicing rollers when said flat surface portion moves away from the periphery of said other splicing roller; second supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of the web on the other of said pair of reels so that an operator may apply adhesive material to the leading end of the web on said other reel prior to inserting the adhesive material into said gap; and a detector device arranged to detect the decrease in diameter of said one reel and operative when said one reel is reduced to a predetermined diameter to initiate movement of said flat surface portion away from the periphery of the other splicing roller whereby the adhesive material in said gap is automatically connected with the web of said one reel so that the web of said other reel begins to advance in said elongated path.

prising a base having a portion substantially coplanar with and located upstream of said flat surface portion to support the leading end portion of the web of said other reel when the adhesive material connected with said leading end is placed onto said flat surface portion.

5. In a splicing apparatus wherein webs are drawn from consecutive reels and wherein the leading end of a web which is convoluted on a fresh reel is united by adhesive tape with the trailing end of a web which is paid out by the preceding reel, in combination, advancing means arranged to move a web in an elongated path; guide means arranged to locate a pair of reels in a common plane; first supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of the web on one of said pair of reels so that said one reel rotates when its web is engaged by said advancing means; a pair of rotary splicing mem bers adjacent to the opposite sides of said elongated path and defining a gap wide enough to permit a web to pass with substantial play, one of said splicing members having a splicing portion movable toward and away from the other splicing member to change the width of said gap; second supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of the web on the other of said pair of reels so that an operator may apply a length of adhesive tape to the leading end of the web on said other reel prior to inserting the tape into said gap; cutter means adjacent to said elongated path at a point upstream of said splicing members and comprising knife means movable across said common plane to sever the Web of said one reel; and a normally idle detector device arranged to detect the decrease in diameter of said one reel and operative when said one reel is reduced to a predetermined diameter to initiate movement of said knife means across said common plane whereby the web is severed from said one reel, said detector device being further operative to initiate movement of said splicing portion toward the other splicing member for connecting the adhesive tape in said gap with the trailing end of the Web severed from said one reel whereby the web of said other reel begins to advance in said elongated path.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein each of said supporting means comprises at least one movable supporting member and further comprising drive means operatively connected with the supporting member of said second supporting means and arranged to be operated by said detector device so as to move the supporting member of said second supporting means when the web of said one reel is severed by said knife means whereby said other reel pays out its web and the web advances in said elongated path.

4. A combination as set forth in cla1m 3, further com- 7. A combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein said drive means is operated by said detector device through the intermediary of said knife means.

8. A combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein said detector device comprises a trip located beneath said one reel and a detector switch which is actuated by said trip when said one reel is reduced to said predetermined diameter, said drive means comprising electric motor means and electromagnetic clutch means disposed in the power train between said motor means and the supporting member of said second supporting means, said clutch means being connected in circuit with said detector switch to move the supporting member of said second supporting means when said trip actuates said detector switch.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein the supporting member of said first supporting means is moved by said drive means when said detector device is idle.

10. A combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein said cutter means comprises resilient means for biasing said movable knife means across said plane and locking means for holding the movable knife means in an inoperative position outside of said plane, said knife means being movable by hand to said inoperative position thereof.

11. A combination as set forth in claim 10, wherein said detector device is operative to disengage said locking means from said knife means when said one reel is reduced to said predetermined diameter.

12. In a splicing apparatus wherein webs are drawn from consecutive reels and wherein the leading end of a web which is convoluted on a fresh reel is united with the trailing end of a web which is paid out by the preceding reel, in combination, advancing means arranged to move a web in an elongated path; guide means for locating a pair of reels in a common plane; first support ing means for carrying the outermost convolution of the web on one of said pair of reels so that said one reel rotates when its web is engaged by said advancing means; a pair of rotary splicing members adjacent to the opposite sides of said elongated path and defining a gap wide enough to permit a web to pass with substantial play, one of said splicing members having a splicing portion movable toward and away from the other splicing memher to change the width of said gap; second supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of the web on the other of said pair of reels so that an operator may apply a length of adhesive tape to the leading end of the web on said other reel prior to inserting the tape into said gap; and a normally idle detector device arranged to detect the decrease in diameter of said one reel and operative when said one reel is reduced to a predetermined diameter to initiate movement of said splicing portion toward the other splicing member for connecting the adhesive tape in said gap with the web of said one reel whereby the web of said other reel begins to advance in said elongated path, each of said supporting means comprising a pair of supporting rollers; and drive means for rotating the supporting rollers of said first supporting means when said detector device is idle and for rotating the supporting rollers of said second supporting means in response to operation of said detector device.

13. A combination as set forth in claim 12, wherein said movable knife means is arranged to transmit impulses from said detector device to said drive means.

14. In a splicing apparatus wherein webs are drawn from consecutive reels and wherein the leading end of a web which is convoluted on a fresh reel is united with the trailing end of a web which is paid out by the preceding reel, in combination, guide means. arranged to locate a pair of reels in a common plane; first movable supporting means for carrying the outermost convolution of one of said pair of reels; advancing means arranged to move the web of said one reel in an elongated path whereby the reel carried by said first supporting means rotates and pays out the web; second movable supporting means for carry- 

1. IN A SPLICING APPARATUS WHEREIN WEBS ARE DRAWN FROM CONSECUTIVE REELS AND WHEREIN THE LEADING END OF A WEB WHICH IS CONVOLUTED ON A FRESH REEL IS UNITED WITH THE TRAILING END OF A WEB WHICH IS PAID OUT BY THE PRECEDING REEL, IN COMBINATION, ADVANCING MEANS ARRANGED TO MOVE A WEB IN AN ELONGATED PATH; GUIDE MEANS ARRANGED TO LOCATE A PAIR OF REELS IN A COMMON PLANE; FIRST SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CARRYING THE OUTERMOST CONVOLUTION OF THE WEB ON ONE OF SAID PAIR OF REELS SO THAT SAID ONE REEL ROTATES WHEN ITS WEB IS ENGAGED BY SAID ADVANCING MEANS; A PAIR OF SPLICING MEMBERS ADJACENT TO THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ELONGATED PATH AND DEFINING A GAP WIDE ENOUGH TO PERMIT A WEB TO PASS WITH SUBSTANTIAL PLAY, ONE OF SAID SPLICING MEMBERS HAVING A SPLICING PORTION MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER SPLICING MEMBER TO CHANGE THE WIDTH OF SAID GAP; SECOND SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CARRYING THE OUTERMST CONVOLUTION OF THE WEB ON THE OTHER OF SAID PAIR OF REELS SO THAT AN OPERATOR MAY APPLY AN ADHESIVE MEMBER TO LEADING END OF THE WEB ON SAID OTHER REEL PRIOR TO INSERTING THE ADHESIVE MEMBER INTO SAID GAP; AND A DETECTOR DEVICE ARRANGED TO DETECT THE DECREASE IN DIAMETER OF SAID ONE REEL AND OPERATIVE WHEN SAID ONE REEL IS REDUCED TO A PREDETERMINED DIAMETER TO INITIATE MOVEMENT OF SAID SPLICING PORTION TOWARD THE OTHER SPLICING MEMBER FOR CONNECTING THE ADHESIVE MEMBER IN SAID GAP WITH THE WEB OF SAID ONE REEL WHEREBY THE WEB OF SAID OTHER REEL BEGINS TO ADVANCE IN SAID ELONGATED PATH. 